When Shota Imanaga opted out of free agency, questions emerged around the Chicago Cubs: would the left-hander return to the North Side, or had his time with the organization reached its end? The front office extended a $22.025M qualifying offer after Imanaga declined his $15.25M player option. So is he staying? Well, it’s still uncertain. And the front office isn’t sitting idle; they have expanded their search beyond the Japanese left arm.

The Cubs have identified two free agent pitchers who could reshape their 2026 rotation. It’s the Padres duo: Michael King and Dylan Cease . According to Spotrac, King carries a market value of $92 million, while Cease is valued at $185 million, totaling $277 million.

Both pitchers declined their options to enter free agency. In the injury-plagued

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